Method of and apparatus for manufacturing electrostatic condensers



Jan. 20, 1931. 5.15. ROSAIRE ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORMANUFACTURING ELECTROSTATIC CONDENSERS Filed June 5, 1926 Patented Jan.20, 1931 4 UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.

ESME EUGENE ROSAIRE, OEHOUSTON, TEXAS, AND ARTHUR DAVID .KERN S, OEBLOCK- 'F IELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY,INCORPORATED,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK v METHOD OF AND AEPARATUSFOR MANUFACTURING ELI!GTROSTATIG CONDENSERS Application filed June 5,

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for manufacturingelectrostatic condensers and has for its principal object theconstruction of electrostatic condensers to definite measured capacitiesin a simple, inexpensive and expeditious manner.

In accordance with the object'of the present invention strips of paperor other dielectric and metal foil are assembled into a plurality ofunits which are individually subected to pressure and passed through aheated impregnating solution, preferably paraflin,

from which they pass to-a common point where an additional strip ofpaper or other dielectric is interposed between the units which arecaused to adhere thereto. The composite units are then passed through aheated impregnating solution, also preferably paraffim-subjected topressure for causing the intimate association of the respective elementsand for expelling any entrapped ail and then wound in coil form until'apredeter- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of.

a winding arbor with acondenser wound thereon showing the means forelectrically connecting the condenser plates tothe associated circuitduring the forming of the con-- ticed will lie/described. Referring toFig. 1. of the drawing, the numerals 10, 11, 12 and- 13 represent supplyrolls of paper or other dielectric material, and 14 and 15 supply rollsof tin foil or other material forming 1926. Serial No. 113,858.

the plates of the condensers, the width of the foil being sli htly lessthan that 'of the paper as shown in %ig..3. At 17 and 18 are indi-'cated pairs of heated rollers between which the sets of paper and foilstrips 10, 11 and 14,-and 13 and 15 respectively are drawn, im'mediately upon leaving their respective supply rolls, to remove anymoisture which may may be heated either electrically or as illustratedby steam' supplied from a suitable vbe contained therein. The rollers 17and 18 source (not shown) through a pipe indicated at 19 and passingaxially through each of the rollers. Receptacles containing fuseddielectric material, which may be parafiin, are indicated at 20, 21 and22, which may be heated by gas burners 23. A roller 24 is carried ineach of the receptacles 20, 21 and 22 around which the strips of paperand foil pass on their way through the receptacles, the paper stripsitwill be apparent being impregnated Pairs of suitablepressure rollersare indicated at 25, 26 and 27 between which the paper and foil stripswith the fused 1 paraflin.

pass upon emergence from the paraffin baths to cause a suitableadherence between the. strips passin therebetween. Associated with thereceptac e 22 is another set of pressure rollers 28, between which thevarious strips pass after leaving the pressure rollers 25 and 26 andbefore their joint entrance into the receptacle 22. Upon leaving thepressure rollers 27 the several impregnated strips ofpaper andassociated strips of tin foil are wound upon a winding arbor 30 whichmay be rotated in any suitable manner, for instance by a hand crank (notshown) I It will be apparent upon causing the arbor 30 to be rotatedinthe 'direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1) that the several stripsof paper and tinfoil will be simultaneously drawn from their respectivesupply rolls and wound into a coil upon the arbor in the followingmanner:

The paper strips 10 and 1 1 together with the strip of tin foil 14 forma unit or one set of strips, which is advanced .fromits respec; tivesource of supply with the foil 14 outs1de 'of the two pa 1' strips; 10and 11,-between ers I7, which serve to posithe heated [r01 tively removeany moisture contained in the paper strips, and thence under the roller24 supported in the bath 20 which serves to impregnate the paper stripswith parafiin. Upon emergence from the ath 20 the several strips aredrawn between the pressure rollers to cause a close adherence of theimpregnated dielectric strips 10 and 11 with the tin foil strip 14 toform a three ply composite strip indicated at 31. Simultaneously withthe advance of the strips 10, 11 and 14 between the heated rollers 17through the parafiin bath 20 and between the pressure rollers 25, thepaper strip 13 together with the strip of tin foil 15 which forms asecond unit is advanced from its respective source of supplyandtreated'in a manner similar to that described in connection with thestrips 10, 11 and 14 by being drawn between the heated rollers 18,through the parafiin bath 21 and between the pressure rollers 26 to formtreated with para 11 and between the pressure rollers 27 to cause aclose adherence of i the composite strips 31 and 32 into a singlecomposite strip 33.

Upon the condenser being wound to a predetermined capacity, as indicatedby a ca-- pacity measuring device associated therewith to be describedin detail hereinafter, the operator may sever the composite strips 31and 32 at the points indicated by the numerals 34, without, however,severing strip 12. The

.winding of the coil is thereafter continued until the balance of thestrips 31 and 32 associated with the arbor have passed through the bath22, between the rollers 27 and wound upon the arbor 30 with a suiiicientlength of the unsevered paper strip 12 wound thereon to form aprotective covering. The paper strip 12 is then severed at a pointindicated by the numeral 35 and the completed condenser roll removedfrom the arbor 30, and thereafterthe severed ends of the compositestrips 31 and 32 are brought into engagement with opposite surfaces ofthe paper strip 12 and caused to adhere thereto, the operation beingfacilitated by their previous treatment in the paraflin baths 20 and 21.The free end of the paper strip 12 is then associated with the windingarbor 30 and the forming of the condenser roll continues, ashereinbefore described, until the predetermined capacity has beenobtained, the paper strip 12 serving to thread the composite strips 31and 32 through the bath 22 and between the rollers 27 and to the windingarbor 30. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 which i1lus-, trate the means forelectrically connecting the metallic condenser plates 14 and 15 to thecircuit during the winding of the condenser, the circuit serving toindicate when the condenser has reached a predetermined capacity, 36 and37 indicate condenser terminals consisting of thin metal strips,preferably of tinned copper ribbon, which are slipped into positionasthe composite strips 31 and 32 are being formed into the singlecomposite strip 33,-the terminals 36 and37 each being in electricalcontact with one of the plates 14 and 15. Fixed to the arbor 30 is acollar 38 composed of insulating material, for instance, vulcanized hardrubber. Attached tothe periphery of the collar 38 at diametricallyopposite points is a pair of spring clips 39 which, as clearly shown inFig. 4, are designed to firmly engage the terminals 36 and 37. Securedto an insulating collar 40 in spaced relation with each other are a pairof contact rings 41 which are engaged by a pair of stationary brushes42.

The circuit combinedwith a vacuum detector tube (Fig. 2), which isassociated with the condenser during the forming-thereof, in practicinthe method hereinbefore described and designed to indicate to theoperator when the condenser has reached a predetermined capacity willnow be described. The terminals 36 and 37 of the condenser (Figs. 3 and4) during the winding thereof are connected to the circuit through thebrushes 42 bearing upon the contact rings- 4lcarried by the Windingarbor 30, as her ein before described. Referring to Fig. 2, the numeral45 indicates a suitable oscillatory circuit which includes a suitablesource of current of constant frequency at approximately eighteenhundred cycles. The circuit 45 is connected to a vacuum tube 46 whichhas a tuned plate circuit consisting of a variable inductance 47 and acondenser 48 in parallel, which represents the condenser being wound,the brushes 42 hereinbefore mentioned being connected into the tunedplate circuit at points 49' and 50. When the condenser 48 reaches apredetermined capacity it forms a resonant circuit for the fixedfrequency of the pulsating current flowing in the plate crcuit of thetube 46, at which time a large current will flow in the resonantcircuit. The value of the capacity may be varied by varying theinductance 47. It will, therefore, be apparent that at any value ofcapacity of the condenser 48 during the winding thereof other than thatat which the tuned plate circuit is" in resonance, the current throughthe condenser 48 and the variable inductance 47 is much smaller than theresonance value. A very small portion of the inductance 47, as indicatedat 53, is conncctcd single composite strip and forming the latter to thegrid electrode of a vacuum detector tube 54-which has a largeamplification factor and the current flow through its plate circuit isreduced nearly to zero by a negative grid bias. .A sensitive relay 55 isincluded in the plate circuit of the tube 54. When the tuned platecircuit of the tube 46 is in resonance with the impressed'frequency, alarge potential is induced upon the grid of the tube 54 by the currentflowing in the variable inductance 47 which causes a rectified or uni--a directional current to flow 1n the plate circult of-the tube 54,thereby energizing the relay 55 and closing a circuit which includes asignal lamp 57 which, in operating, indicates to the operator windingthe condenser that the capacity thereof has reached a predeterv minedvalue.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming electrostatic condensers, which consists insimultaneously advancing a plurality of separate units of strips offibrous material and strips of metal through a fused dielectricmaterial, subjecting the several strips comprising each unit to pressureupon both faces immediately upon emergence therefrom so as to form theseveral strips into composite strips, interposing a strip of fibrousmaterial between the com= posite strips, subjecting the composite stripsand the interposed strip to pressure, advancing the whole through afused dielectric material and again subjecting the same to pressure tocause a close adherence of the composite strip and the interposed stripinto a intoa roll.

2. The method of forming electrostatic condensers, which consists insimultaneously heating and advancing a plurality of separate units ofstrips of fibrous material and strips of metal through a fuseddielectric material, causing a close adherence of the several stripscomprising each unit into a composite strip,

inter-posing a strip of fibrous material between the composite strips,advancing the whole through a fused dielectric material,

applying pressure to both faces thereof to .cause a close adherence ofthe composite strips and the interposed strip into a singlet compositestrip and forming the latter into a roll.

3. The .method of forming electrostatic condensers, which consists insimultaneously advancing a plurality of strips of fibrous material and astrip of metal with the latter positioned outside of the former througha fused dielectric material, causing a close ad.- herence of the severalstrips into a composite strip immediately upon emergence therefrom,interposing a strip of fibrous material into adjacent relationship withthe strip of metal, advancing a strip of fibrous material and a strip ofmetal through a fused dielectric material, causing a close adherence ofthe latter strips into a composite strip immediately upon emergencetherefrom. advancing the whole through a fused dielectric material,subjecting the whole to pressure upon both its faces to remove excessdielectric and form a single composite strip and forming the latter intoa roll.

4. The method of manufacturing electrostatic condensers, which consistsin assembling a plurality of strips of dielectric and metallic elementsin predetermined relation, interposing a dielectric stripbetwcen thethus assembled strips, advancing through a treating bath, forming thetreated strips into a roll. and continuously testing the metallicelements for capacity during such assembly.

5. In combination with apparatus for forming electrostatic condensers,means for assembling a plurality of fibrous and metallic tallic elementsof the condenser being formed and an inductance, a source of pulsatingcurrent associated therewith, and means operable when a condition ofresonance is obtained between the circuit and the current source forindicating when the condenser in process of being formed has reached apredetermined capacity.

7. The combination with apparatus for forming electrostatic condensers,means for assembling a plurality of fibrous and metallic elementsarranged in prcdetcrmim-d relation into a roll of a circuit includingthe metallic elements of the condenser being formed and an inductance, asource of pulsating current associated therewith, and means under thecontrol of the circuit when resonance is obtained between the circuitand the current source for indicating when the condenser in process ofbeing formed has tion into a roll of a circuit including the metallicelements of the condenser being formed and an inductance, a source ofpulsating current connected thereto, a vacuum detector tube connected tothe circuit, and electro-magnetically, oper'ated means connected in theplate circuit thereof and dcsigned to be operated vhen resonance is obthe strips tained between the first mentioned circuit and the currentsource for indicating when the condenser in process of being formed hasreached a predetermined capacity.

9. The combination with apparatus for forming electrostatic condensers,means for assembling a plurality of fibrous and metallic elementsarranged in predeterminedrelation into a roll of a circuit including.the metallic elements of the condenser being formed connected inparallel with a variable inductance, a source of pulsating currentconnected to the circuit, a vacuum detector tube having its gridconnected to the inductance, electromagnetically operated meansconnected in the plate circuit thereof and designed to be operated whenresonance is obtained between the circuit and the current source, and anelectrically operated signaling device and circuit therefor designed tobe closed by the operation of the relay when the condenser in process'ofbeing formed has reached a pre determined capacity.

10. The combination with apparatus for forming electrostatic condensers,means for assembling a plurality of fibrous and metal lic elementsarranged in predetermined relation into separate composite strips andadvancing the same to a common point, a receptacle containing a fuseddielectric material, a strip of fibrous material threaded therethrough,means for causing an adherence of the composite strips to the latterstrip of fibrous material, means for advancing the associated stripsthrough the material and compressing the same upon emergence therefrominto a single composite strip and form- IHI ing the latter into a roll,of means associated with the metallic elements and responsive when apredetermined capacity has been at tained therein for indicating whenthe condenser in process of .being formed has reached a predeterminedcapacity.

11. The method of operating an apparatus for forming electrostaticcondensers, where- 'in two outer strips and an inner strip are s1-multaneously passed through a series of rolls and wound upon an arbor,which consists in severing at a determined instant the outer strips at apoint to the rear of said rolls, continuing the winding of the innerstrip to complete the condenser,.severing the inner strip at a pointforward of the rolls, attaching the outer strips to the inner strip at.a point to the rear of the rolls, and repeating the operation.

12. The method of forming electrostatic condensers b means of anapparatus comprising a series of rolls and an arbor, which comprisessimultaneously passing two outer strips and an inner strip through' therolls to the arbor, severing the outer strip at a. point to the rear ofsaid rolls, continuing the forward of said rolls, causing the ends ofthe outer strips to adhere to the inner strip at a point to the rear ofsaid' rolls, and repeating the operation.

13. In an apparatus for manufacturing electrostatic condensers, arotating arbor for winding aplurality of dielectric and metallicelements in predetermined relation thereon, contacting means carried bythe arbor for making an electrical connection to the rotating metallicelements, and means engaging the contacting means for continuouslytestin the elements for capacity.

n witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 7th day of MayA. D., 1926.

ESME EUGENE ROSAIRE.

ARTHUR DAVID KERNS.

winding of the inner strip to complete the condenser, severing the innerstripat a point

